Your Breathing Problems Solved

in Tuscaloosa, AL

Difficulty breathing through your nose is a common symptom of many viral infections like the cold or flu. In these cases, your stuffy nose would get better over the course of a week or so. But if you experience chronic breathing problems, another condition might be the cause! Breathing difficulty can greatly affect your quality of daily life, but luckily, determining the cause can lead you to an effective solution.

Allergies

Allergies are the main culprit for the breathing problems of many people. When your exposed to an allergen, you can develop congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. The most obvious solution to allergies is to avoid the allergen, so you might consider getting an allergy test done with an ENT specials to determine what your triggers are. If you can’t avoid your allergens, you might try an antihistamine or nasal spray to open up the airway. While these can control your symptoms, the only long-term treatment for allergies is with allergy shots or drops administered by an ENT specialist.

Deviated Septum

If your breathing problems have been present for as long as you can remember, or if they developed after a nose injury, a deviated septum could be to blame! A deviated septum refers to a bent nasal septum (the tissue between the nasal passages) causing an obstruction or the airway. An ENT specialist might recommend a surgical procedure to open the airways, depending on the severity of your breathing problems.

Sinusitis

Have you recently had a cold with congestion that never seemed to go away? Your harmless cold may have turned into sinusitis, or a sinus infection. Those who suffer from sinusitis can have chronic, severe breathing problems due to a swelling of the sinuses. Sinusitis can be difficult to diagnose on your own, so take the sinusitis test for help! Sinusitis that doesn’t improve after ten days could be due to a bacterial infection, requiring antibiotics to treat. If sinusitis symptoms still persist or come back, you might talk with an ENT specialist about a balloon sinus dilation or surgical procedure to open the airways and solve your breathing problems.

If you need assistance in diagnosing or solving your breathing problems, contact Alabama Ear, Nose & Throat today for a consultation with one of our ENT specialists.